This what I have:
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That is the CCK, that will do.
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If you’ve ever fancied eurorack, Mirack gets you that, on your ipad. Full intergration with external midi gear too.
AUM is more useful than you can possibly imagine. For connecting apps to do other apps, and also your ipad to outside world.
Koala is max fun.
Drambo- didnt like it personally, too many options, meh sound, ugly fiddly UI.
There’s millions of apps out there, pick one or two and use them. Make a few jams, then see how you go, what you enjoy etc.
And probably the most underated feature of ipads… you can screen record anything, and feed the audio into your sampler of choice.
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If you don’t use overbridge, you can connect iPad directly to DT or DN, otherwise use audio/midi interface and connect it as a hardware device with audio and midi cables.
AUM is really good app with one problem - no MIDI clock sync (just clock master), so for me it’s not that usable as part of hardware setup and would for this purpose recommend Audiobus - not as nice GUI-wise as AUM, but it syncs to midi. Or just use Drambo, which can also host AUv3 plugins and do much more, if you’re willing to take time to learn it.
For 303 absolutely check out Pure Acid, Poison-202 from same developer is also great as a more general purpose synth and recently my favorite synth is ButterSynth. I also love Koala sampler for sampling and Borderlands for granular. And of course lets not forget some high quality effects like Eventide Blackhole, Toneboosters and FAC stuff etc.
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I use iPhone or iPad with the DN for years. The integration is pretty simple. You need the Apple dongle to power the device and hook your machine(s) through USB, and that’s it. Now the HW box is a MIDI controller or is your HW’s slave and it opens up new horizons : synths, drums, DAWs, weird effects and touch interaction… The only limitation with the DN is the audio rate (48khz fixed). The MIDI channels allows you to have four more sounds under your fingers, and the machine acts as a central hub for audio/MIDI. It’s a blessing when travelling light.
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I use an iPad Pro via CCK (lightning) to a 4-port unpowered USB hub -> UMC404HD for audio / midi IO.
I do have to ensure my attached USB devices have their power supplies connected though since the iPad itself doesn’t like powering the UMC404HD via the unpowered USB hub.
So I do recommend using a powered hub and/or checking whether the iPad can provide enough power to your attached devices before you rely on that.
The iPad runs Drambo as a 4 channel live fx unit either as sends from my mixer (eg for reverbs and delays) or for channel insert or bus processing inserted behind some hardware (e.g compression, drive, filtering, more extreme mangling etc of my OG LXR).
I like the fact that LXR has 4 flexible outs and my UMC404HD has 4 ins. So can either use 4 channels for just the LXR or I can run just a stereo mix from the LXR and have another 2 inputs for synths e.g. Microfreak and SE-02.
Makes for a really portable mixer, FX and multi tracking setup.
Also have Mosaic running MIDI scripts for various tasks such as note to CC conversion for chromatic play of my Volca Drum units.
All in all I love the iPad in my setup - super flexible tool and helps me build a small portable live rig.
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Ok…
Ok…
Ok…
Given your criteria/evidence… I’d say get a cheap Behri TD3 at some point to scratch your 303 itch and use the iPad to watch YouTube videos about the gear you have alongside your gear, and, you know, access Elektronauts from it.
When you feel you have an exact handle on how you WANT to use the iPad, maybe go for it then, but, otherwise you’re just causing yourself a massive distraction that’s going to reduce your fun massively.
iPad’s are cool/powerful when you dig in, but your gear set up is way more interesting and you cover a lot of ground… I can see how a nice mono would fit in too (TD3, Roland SH01a/S1, Novation BS2, Moog/Boog, etc).
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As mentionned above, Pure Acid is dope, you should give it a try.
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I strongly disagree with this, unless you truly want to have only boxes with knobs and keys in your set-up. There is so many powerful synths, effects and other tools for the iPad that complement any set-up, especially dawless, even if you just use it for recording.
That said, if you are comfortable with what you have keep it like that, but iPad can definitely add what you are looking for for cheap (since you already have the device).
I recommend the new Moog Mariana synth if you are looking for Bass, but Drambo and AUM are kind of a must on an iPad.
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@g0nz0uk - another cool iOS app is Midi Designer - build your own control surfaces to get more access to parameters of your existing devices!
Or check out the community offerings here:
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I also couldn’t disagree more about avoiding a perfectly good free iPad for fear of it somehow making things worse.
iPads have been nothing but helpful since I downloaded my first music app in 2008.
I was going to hold my response until this evening because I would have to type for hours to cover all the uses I have for an iPad in my music making. Too many positive aspects to cover typing with my thumbs.
But that response from @CCMP paints a stark picture that is not representative of everyone’s experience. Read his response again, and anytime he talks about a negative, flip it 180 and know it’s a positive for me.
Now I would consider myself, in reality just a hack hobbyist making music for fun, somewhat of an experienced iPad music app user.
I can’t remember if I have 4 or 5 iPads or if it’s 5 or 6… but if enough that my Elektron DT has one that never leaves, my DTKeys has one, and my 404mk2 as well full time.
My MPC and my Force share one, which also floats around and hooks up to hardware running sequencers, computers, or standalone jamming, sound design, synthesis, sampling etc both home and travelling.
Now both opinions are obviously valid. Mess with it, don’t mess with it… but you have it and it’s free so mess with it.
I could list the top 100 music apps I use most out my 350 or so I have - DAWS, synths, samplers, drum machines, sequencers, midi apps, DAW controllers, scale/chord generators, FX, guitar tuners, clip launchers… but the popular apps are easy to figure out.
Later I will give a few examples of different ways I use it with specific gear, but trying it with the digitakt/tone should be your first experiment.
Pro tip - one of the main complaints of the iPad is having to use a dongle especially with the Lightning models. I use some type of a laptop/tablet stand or holder, and I mount (Velcro) the back or underside of the stand which makes it much more tidy and pleasing to use.
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I think I’m a little confused on what I what to use it for and where I would connect it too as there seems so many wonderful options.
I have the CCK adapter, but no cable from that to another device yet.
I read it can do so much and it’s almost overwhelming 
I love my setup now where the Hapax is sequencing the Digitone and Peak, but I prefer to keep Digitakt sequencer and get the Hapax to just play the sequencer on that. The Hapax is the main clock too.
I was thinking if I could use the iPad as another synth for starters to keep it simple.
I read you can use it as an effects pedal too, I imagine I’d have to send the audio from the 1010 Bluebox mixer to the iPad for somehow.
I’m one of those people if I see how it’s done, video or drawing it makes sense rather than over text, I’m odd like that and I’m probably overthinking now that it’s more complicated than it really is.
Good score! I have a 2017 iPad Pro as well, and it’s great for music apps.
Note that those 2017 iPad Pros have EXTREMELY high-quality audio specs when using the 3.5mm analog out. The low noise and flat frequency response is MORE than suitable for professional applications.
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There are indeed many options.
I don’t think the 1010 Bluebox has USB audio, so you’d need an audio interface to get audio into the iPad. Plus the iPad FX would be applied to everything, and you might not want that. If you just want to use the iPad as a synth, you could take the headphone output into the Bluebox, but you probably also want to sync it with the MIDI clock, and that could take some work.
The simplest thing to try is attaching the iPad to just DT or DN via USB. That will take care of MIDI and audio. Or just use it on its own for a bit.
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The bluebox just implemented class compliant USB audio!!!
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Ah, very nice, thank you for the correction.
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Oh yeah I read that too with regards to the 1010 Bluebox, I guess if I wanted to use it as an FX device (Eventide blackhole app for example) then it would be iPad > CCK USB to Printer port on (the power port on the Bluebox) and send/route audio to that port for the effects to pass through it?
But you are very right I’d just like to use it as a synth maybe and keep it basic for starters. So you are saying I use it as another synth if I plug into the Digitone’s USB port with AUM or Drambo (which I bought)? I’m guessing I couldn’t use the Hapax to sequence it if plugged into that though?
I bought pure acid too where I wonder if I could incorporate into my setup. I have a diagram if you are interested.
Thanks for your time spent on this.
You’d have to ask someone with a Bluebox how the new USB audio feature works.
If you connect it to the Digitone’s (or Digitakt’s) USB port, on the Digi side, you could configure USB audio in, and mix the audio from the iPad with the Digi sound so they both go out the audio cables from the Digi to the Bluebox. On the iPad side, make sure your synth is sending to the Digi, which should be visible as an option (I know how to do this in AUM, it may vary with standalone synths). Also make sure your synth is receiving USB MIDI clock, and make sure Digi is sending it. You can do this with Pure Acid, for example. What is your diagram about?
If you want to sequence the iPad synth using Hapax, you are presumably already sending MIDI to Digi, so use a different channel and make sure that is sent from the Digi to your app in iPad.
You’re welcome! I’m a teacher, so this is kind of the way I operate all the time.
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Lots of excellent suggestions. One thing I would recommend is not discounting GarageBand to quickly. It might look a little cartoonish but I found it to be really useful. Especially when I needed to record the connected Digitakt.
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Ah that makes sense you are a teacher it shows with your explanations and a will to help others, top stuff.
Oh my diagram is just my current setup and cabling.
So if I plug into the DN or DT it will merge its audio on the Bluebox as the DN or DT and iPad will go to the same input on the Bluebox?
I’m trying to see if the Hapax can see the iPad as its own synth I guess on its own MIDI channel like the other devices I have plugged into it and also send the clock from the Hapax like I have setup from the Hapax to DT. It would be good to hit play on the Hapax and it will play the Pure Acid sequencer or maybe if I get a Moog iPad synth and sequence it from the Hapax.